Arizona weekly citizen., 1887-03-26
The Murder of Con. Ryan.
CRrrrRSDRS A TT March

CRITrESDRS, 4. T., March 2l.
 EDITOR CITIzES:-Another atrocious murder has been committed in our county, this time the victim being Con. Ryan, a well known citizen and pioneer of Pima county who was brutAlly mur- dered in his own house on the Sonoits. about eight miles from here. The coronors jury have not completed their investigations yet, but as far shown the circumstances are as follows:
 Wm. DeVess, another well known citi- zen of this part of the county, entered into an agreement with the deceased 10 cultivate the ranch together. Mir. be Vess hos been hvIng in the house with the deceased since the first of the pres ent month. Shortly before noon, on Saturday, the 18th. Mir. DeVess left the ranch and went to Harshsw with bis team, and returned on Sunday, about three o'clock p. m., and found the body of the deceased in the house in a room used ss a store room; and without max ing any investigation he ssddled horse and came to Crittenden and notified Justice of the Peace Vanderlip, who at once summoned a coronor's jury and proceeded to the premises. On arriving at the premises and entering the houses, a horrible spectacle met our gaze: the deceased was lyIng on his face m the
 room with his head literally chopped to pieces. there being about sixteen 2Rshes probably; any one of ten of which would cause almost instant death. In another | room a butchers heavy cleRver was
 found, near 8 trunk belonging to MT. | DeVess which had been opened and the
 contents scattered around the room and part of the contents missing. The cleayer would weigh at least three pounds, and was covered with blood and l hai-. showing beyond a doubt that ii
 was used as the instrument of death. The deceased's blankets are gone; also
 his pistol, and Mir. DeVess' shotgun
 According to Mir. De Vess' testimony
 two Me1icans were employed on last Friday by the deceased, to build 6
 brush fence and commenced work or
 Saturday morning, he issuing rRtions II
 advance to them, and allowing them to camp about seventy yards from his
 house. During the absence of Mir. Dt
 Yeas theIr camp was deserted, they Jeff provisions that were issued to them, be sides their cooking utensils; also 6 serept [ which Mir. Ness identifies as belongins to one of the parties. Mir. De Vesi 5 stated that they got but one cartridge with his shot gun, and that one h. D charged himself and rolled B piece o B paper with hIs fingers for 6 wsd. 4 - similar cartridge was found in thei - camp, so that up to the present hm' . every indication goes to show that the! [ are the guilty parties. The conclusion
 arrived at now IS that they went to th, house on the pretext of buying some
 thing more, and the deceased entered
 the small store room and had stoopeC : over the scales and was assaulted iron , behind, as there was 6 ghastly wound over She right ear such Bs could be in flicted on person in that position b! another behind him with such sn instru r ment as has been described. The crime
 was evidently committed on Saturda. afternoon, and that there was DO strug ' gle. the bloody work having bsen don
 ia less than 8 minute.
 The coroner's jury will resume ihei inquiries this afternoon, when othe - witnesses will be examined and you wll . be informed of further particulars.
 A. B,